China's import and export of household paper and hygiene products in the first half of 2024

According to customs statistics, China's household paper products will continue to show a trade surplus in the first half of 2024, and export volume will increase significantly. The import volume of absorbent hygiene products and wet wipes continues to decrease, while the export business maintains growth. The specific import and export situation of various products is analyzed as follows:

1. Tissue paper
1) Export
In the first half of 2024, the export volume of household paper increased significantly by 31.93%, reaching 653,700 tons, and the export value was US$1.241 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.45%. Among them, the export volume of raw paper has the largest growth rate, with a year-on-year increase of 48.88%. However, the exported household paper is still mainly finished paper (toilet paper, handkerchief paper, facial tissue, napkins, etc.), and the export volume of finished paper accounts for 1% of the total export volume of household paper products. 69.1%. The average export price of household paper fell by 19.31% year-on-year, and the average export price of all types of products fell. The export of household paper products shows a trend of increasing volume and decreasing price.

2) Import
In the first half of 2024, China's household paper imports increased slightly year-on-year, but the import volume was only about 17,800 tons. Imported household paper is mainly raw paper, accounting for 88.2%.

At present, the output and product types of the domestic household paper market have been able to meet the needs of the domestic market. From the perspective of import and export trade, the domestic household paper market is generally export-oriented, and the import volume and amount are relatively small, so the impact on the domestic market is minimal.

2.Absorbent hygiene products
1) Export
The export scale of China's absorbent hygiene products has grown steadily. In the first half of 2024, the total export volume of absorbent hygiene products reached 724,000 tons, with an export value of US$1.985 billion. The export volume of female hygiene products, baby diapers, and adult incontinence products all increased to varying degrees, but the average export price decreased. The largest proportion of export products is baby diapers, accounting for 40.0% of total exports.

2) Import
The total import volume of absorbent sanitary products is decreasing year by year, and its impact on the industry continues to decline. In the first half of 2024, the import volume of absorbent sanitary products was only 12,500 tons, a significant decrease of 36.16% compared with the same period in 2023. Among them, baby diapers are still the main category, accounting for 53.9% of the import volume, and their import volume has also declined significantly, reaching 44.64%; the import of sanitary napkins (pantyliners) and tampons has been relatively stable in the past, but it will also decline in 2024. There was a significant decline. In recent years, China's absorbent sanitary products production capacity has increased and its quality has improved. At the same time, the birth rate has decreased and the target consumer group has decreased, further reducing the demand for imported products.

3. Wet wipes
In the first half of 2024, China's total export volume of wet wipes was much higher than its total import volume. China's wet wipe production capacity not only meets domestic market demand, but is also highly competitive in the international market.
1) Export
In the first half of 2024, the total export volume of wet wipes was 396,600 tons, a year-on-year increase of 55.74%. The export products were mainly cleaning wipes, accounting for 78.5% of the export volume. The average export price of wet wipes is much lower than the average import price, indicating that China's high-value products such as functional wet wipes still have room to expand in overseas markets.
2) Import
In the first half of 2024, the total import volume of wet wipes was only 12,500 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 26.51%, which had a small impact on the domestic market.